New research using data from NASA’s Magellan mission has uncovered signs of possible tectonic activity on Venus, challenging long-held beliefs about the planet’s surface.
Unlike Earth, which has tectonic plates that shift and recycle its crust, Venus was thought to be largely inactive.
However, the study suggests that massive features on its surface, called coronae, may indicate otherwise.
Coronae are vast, oval-shaped structures that range from dozens to hundreds of miles across.
Scientists believe they form when plumes of hot, buoyant material rise from Venus’s mantle, pushing against its outer shell, called the lithosphere.
Hundreds of these coronae have been identified across Venus, and researchers now think they could reveal ongoing geological processes beneath the planet’s surface.
The study, published in Science Advances, used gravity and topography data collected by the Magellan spacecraft, which orbited Venus in the 1990s.
Magellan’s radar system mapped the planet’s mountains and plains, capturing detailed images of its surface.
By combining this data, researchers identified subtle signs of movement and change around many coronae, suggesting that molten rock might still be flowing beneath Venus’s crust.
According to lead author Gael Cascioli, an assistant research scientist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, this discovery could offer a glimpse into what Earth’s surface might have looked like before tectonic plates formed.
The study found that of the 75 coronae examined, 52 showed signs of hot, less dense material beneath them, hinting at active processes.
One of the key findings was evidence of a process similar to subduction, which is when one section of a planet’s surface is forced beneath another.
On Earth, subduction generates earthquakes and volcanic activity as old rock melts and resurfaces. While Venus doesn’t have tectonic plates like Earth, researchers believe something similar might be happening around its coronae.
The rising plumes of molten rock could be pushing surface material outward, forcing it to collide and sink back into the mantle.
Another phenomenon called lithospheric dripping may also be taking place, where cooler, dense material sinks from the planet’s surface into the hot mantle below. Researchers even found signs that volcanic activity might be driven by molten plumes pushing against thicker regions of Venus’s crust.
The findings are particularly exciting for members of NASA’s upcoming VERITAS mission, which aims to map Venus’s surface with far greater detail. Scheduled to launch no earlier than 2031, VERITAS will use advanced radar and infrared imaging to create 3D maps of Venus’s surface and analyze its gravitational field.
This mission is expected to provide sharper images and deeper insights into the planet’s geology.
Co-author Suzanne Smrekar, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, believes VERITAS could revolutionize our understanding of Venus. With a resolution boost of two to four times that of Magellan, VERITAS is set to reveal the hidden dynamics beneath Venus’s surface and offer new clues about its mysterious coronae.
These discoveries could also shed light on Earth’s own geological history, offering a rare window into the processes that shaped both planets in their early years.
